Helicopter



Dec. 16, 1930.

HELICOPTER Filed Nov. 18, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR; Saly@ BY HIS ATTORNEY @MMM - s. TREY 1,785,333

S. TREY HELICOPTER Dec'. 16, 1930.

Filed NOV. 18. ,1926 2 Sheets-Shea?I 2 felge Way. BY H15 ATTORNEY I IHVIILS y 40 the stabilizer; 7,7, are wheels of the landing ileIOfOii at that POiIii.` :[11v the dIJWiIlg, the

Patented Dec. 1t, 1930 Y l 1,785,333

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SERGE TREY., F STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT HELICOPTER Application field November 18, 1926. Seria1iNo..`149,034.

My invention relates to heavier than air hollow and revolves on a stationary Vertical flying ships and, more particularly, to direct shaft 16, fixed at its two ends to the fuselage; lift air craft or. helicopters. 4 it is provided with suitable thrust bearings,

One of the objects of my'invention is to inschematically indicated at 17. The casing 18,

crease the lifting capacity of the air craft fixed to the hollow shaft. 14, revolves there- 55 by increasing the efficiency of the sustaining with, and the aerofoils 11, attached to the aerofoils. Another object is to utilize the so casing 18, are thus caused to rotate about a called Magnus effect, by combining rotors vertical axis. with the aerofoils. Still another object is to On the stationary shaft 16 is fixed a stationldiminish both the structural and the air reary bevel gear 19, meshing with the bevel 60 sistances. Other objects will become appargears 20 attached to the axles 21. The'rotaent from the detailed description of my intion of the casing 18 causes the gears 20 to vention which follows. 4 travel on the gear 19, whereby the gears 20 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of a are made to rotate on their axles 21 with an helicopter embodying one form of my invenangular velocity having a predetermined tion; Figure 2 is a side View of the same craft, ratio to the angular velocity of the casing 18 partly in section; Figure 3 is a plan View of about the vertical, .this predetermined ratio the aerofoils forming the main element of the being fixed by the ratio of the gears 19 and 20. apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2, looking` `In Figures 3 .and 5 is shown the construcfrom below, portions of the aerofoil surface tion of the aerofoils 11, enlarged. The aero- 0 being broken off to show the working of the foils are of ribbed design, as is shown at 22, device; Figure 4 is a schematic View of the Figure 3, Where the surface ofthe aerofoil driving mechanism used in this form of my is broken away to disclose the internal strucinvention; Figure 5 is asection along the line ture, and asis also shown in Figure 5. A 5-5 of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a top View of an hollow rotor' 23, closed at both ends, taper aeroplane wing showing another form of my ing towards the tip of the aerofoil, is shown invention, as applied to stationary aerofoils; in the'drawing as made up in several sections and Figure 7 is a partial view of a modiiicaixedly "attached to the axle 21 and revolving tion of the driving mechanism shown in Figtherewith.l It is not necessary to build up ure 4, v the rotor in sections and it is so shown in 0 Referring tothe drawings in detail, in Figthe drawing only, because this construction ures 1, 2 and 4, 1 is the fuselage of the air is better from an engineering standpoint. It craft; 2, 2, are extensions thereof laterally will be observed that the rotor 23 forms the projecting therefrom and carrying propellers leading edge of the aerofoil.

3 with individual motors (not shown) con- The. aerofoil 11 tapers towards it tip 8b tained in the streamlined casing 4; 5 and 5" alongs1de with the rotor 23, the diameter of are respectively-the rudder and tail fin of the the I'OtOI' 23 having at any point of its axis craft; 6 and 6', respectively, the elevator and a predetermined ratio to the width of the gear; 8 is a tunnel through the fuselage 1, diameter of the rotor 23 is shown as proo Streamlined ai; 9 for the downward How 0f por-tional to the Width of the aerofoil at each air currents; 10 are cross members, also POint, but I do v11,011 WiShztO limit the Con- Streamlined for the downward ow @fair Curstruction to this'f'specifie relation which is rents; 11 are aerofoils carried on the vertical 'given merely as an HUSMOL In Some shaft 14, within the casing 12, the shaft 14 be- Cases, prefer t0 make the ratio of the aeroing revolvedby means 0f the, gear-in 15 foil wldth tothe rotor diameter vary for which isactuated by the horizontal sha v13 different points along the rotor axis. connected t0 a, source Ofpower (not shown)V T0 take Care of the Centrifugal thrust in in the forward end of the fuselage 1. The the aerofoil 11, I provide it* with suitable 100 vertical shaft 14, as `shown in Figure 4, is thrust bearings. In the drawing,a combined journal and thrust ball bearing is shown at 25, near the tip of the aerofoil, and a thrust bearing 24 near its other end. Ball bearings 26, 27 and 28 are also provided, to facilitate the action of the rotor 23.

In order to prevent leakage from the pressure area and to obstruct the passage of the surrounding air into the suction area, and to otherwise eliminate undesirable air currents and, at the same time, utilize all air currents to the best advantage, I provide my revolving aerofoil with a series of fins 29, 30, 31, properly streamlined. These fins surround the aerofoil and diminish in width from the leading edge (rotor 23) towards the trailing edge, 32, where they vanish. It will be observed that, although these fins surround the rotor 23, they do not participate in its rotation. They are shown in the drawing as disposed along concentric circles, but I do not wish to limit them to this specific position and I may, when the aerofoil characteristicsmake this preferable, dispose the fins along different lines.

In Figure 6, 33 is a wing of an aeroplane; 34 is a hollow cylinder, closed .at both ends and revolving on an axle v35; 36 are streamlined fins; and 37 are gears through which rotation ofthe axle 35 is eiected from a source of power, not shown.- In the drawing,

the fins 36 are shown as disposed at a rightangle to the axis of the rotor 34, but it is to be understood that the angle between the rotor axis and the fins may be different from a right angle. Nor are the ins 36 torbe limited as being disposed along straight lines. For wings of certain characteristics,`I prefer to dispose the fins along curved lines.

The operation of the device will now be briefly explained.

To effect a direct lift ofthe craft, I start the motor (not shown) which sets the aerofoils 11 in rotation about the vertical axis, in the direction of the arrow (Figure 3), thereby simultaneously impressing upon the rotors 23 an angular' velocity in a predetermined ratio to the angular velocity of the aerofoils. In the drawing, this predetermined ratio is approximately three to one, but, in the practice of my invention, this ratio is usua ly sults being obtainable with a ratio of about .eight or ten to one. The determination of the best ratio for any particular craft is a purely engineering pro lem involving considerations of wind velocity, speed of revolution of the aerofoils, aerofoil characteristics, relation of total aerofoil surface'to exposed rotor surface, and other factors, all of which is within the ken of those skilled in the art.

The direction of rotation of the rotor'23 is indicated by the arrow in Figure 5. The pressure of air against the rotor forming the leading edge of the aerofoil, indicated m Figure 5 by the arrow b, develops a liftmuch greater, effective re-` ing force indicated in the same ligure by a, I

in accord with the Magnus law. This lifting force a is added tothe lifting capacity of the revolving aerofoil 11 considered asa cilitate the flow of air which rushes downward with 'a backward sweep through the tunnel and I prevent currents in the surrounding air from interfering withthe effective action of the aerofoils. The tunnel is streamlined, as shown, to reduce the `air'and structural resistances. The cross members l0 not only strengthen the fuselage around the tunnel, but'act to break up any-air twists p or eddies that may -form withln it. The cross members 10 are also streamlined for the downwardlow of air currents.

While the position of the aerofoils 11 with-'i in the tunnel 8 is the one I prefer in the practice of my invention, I do not wish' to be understood as claiming that a direct lift machine can not be built which embodies my invention with the-revolving aerofoils otherwise located, so long as these aerofoils comroc prise the feature of the rotor forming the' leading edge thereof, and, accordingly, my invention is not limited to the particular, preferred form, shown in the drawings and comprising atunnel through the fuselage, or to the particular position of the aerofoils in said tunnel. v

Various ways may be devised for effecting the fore and aft motion of my direct lift air the craft in the fore and aft direction being effected inthe same manner as in .an aeroplane. The steering apparatus comprises the usual elements, suchvas the rudder 5'and' tail fin 5 ;-the elevator 6 and stabilizer 6'; and the ailerons 6, on the lateral extensions 2 of the fuselage. The propellers 3 may be actuated by independent motors in casings 4,

or fromthe source of power which actuates the revolving aerofoils. v

In the revolving type of my aerofoil, the

rotor 23 is made to taper towards the tip' of-I the aerofoil, to conform with dynamic laws.

. 4 110 craft. As illustrated in the drawings, one way is to provide propellers 3 on lateralex-` tensions of the fuselage, the 'propulsion of In the case of an aeroplane wing, the rotor a is of cylindrical shape, ordinarily, but, just as in the case of the revolving aerofoil, and as explained above, the diameter of the rotor may have a predetermined ratio to the width of the plane at any point of the rotor axis, and if this ratio .varies from oint to point, tlle rotor will no longer be of) a cylindrical s ape.

The axis of the rotor 23, in Fi re 4, is shown as being at a right angle to t e axis of revolution of the aerofoils. In Figure 7, I have shown a modification of this construction, with a different inclination of the axles 21 of the rotors to the axis of revolution of the aerofoils.

Other variations of my device may be made by those skilled in the art, without detracting from the scope or spirit of my invention, and need not be enumerated here.

I claim:

1. In an aerofoil, the combination with a rotor forming the leading edge thereof, of a fairingl and one or more fins surrounding said rotor and said fairing.

2. In an aerofoil, the combination with a iotor disposed at the leading edgethereof, of a fairing and one or more fins surrounding said rotor and said fairing at right angles to the axis of said rotor.

3. In an aerofoil, the combination with a rotor forming the leading edge thereof, of a fairing and one or more streamlined ns surrounding said rotor and said fairing and vanishing at the trailing edge thereof.

4. The combination with an aerofoil, of a rotor disposed at the leading edge thereof, and one or more stationary'fins surrounding said rotor.

5. Inan aerofoil tapering towards its tip the combination with a rotor disposed to forml the leading edge thereof, of va fairing of varying width, the diameter of said rotor inA any plane perpendicular toits axis having a predetermined ratio to the width of said fairing in said plane.

6. In an aerofoil vtapering towards its tip, the combination with a rotor disposed lengthwise thereof, of a fairing of varying width the diameter of said rotor in any plane perpendicular to its axis being proportional to the width of said aerofoil in said plane.

7. Thecombination with a revolving aerofoil, of a rotor forming the leading edge tion, means for rotating said aerofoils, means for impressing upon said rotors an angularv Velocity in a predetermined ratio to the angular velocity of said aerofoils, means for propelling said aircraft in the fore and aft direction, and means for steering said aircraft.

11. An aerofoil, comprising a tapering rotor disposed at the leadin edge thereof, a correspondingly tapering airing the thickness ofy said fairing decreasing from said roaol tor towards the trailing edge of said aerofoil,

and fins surrounding said aerofoil and vanishing at the trailing edge thereof.

SERGE TREY.

thereof, and fins surrounding said aerofoil and fixed thereto along concentric circles about the axis of revolution of said aerofoil. 8. In a helicopter, a system of revolving aerofoils tapering from a point .near their v axis of revolution towards the tips, anda rotor disposed at the leading edge of each one of said aerofoils, said aerofoils being located entirely within said fuselage.

9. In a helicopter, a tunnel through the fuselage thereof, a system of aerofoils revolving in said tunnel, said aerofoils tapering from a point near their axis of revolution towards the ti s, and a rotor disposed at the leading edge o each one cf said aerofoils. 

